SchoolArts - March 2009

Youth
Art Month
Youth Art Month (YAM) is
an annual observance each March to

emphasize the value of art education for
a llchildrenandtoencouragesupportforqual-
^FOCUS ^INi ty school art programs. Established in 1961,
YAMprovidesaforumforacknowledging
_Participate _in _YAMs kills that are not possible in other subjects. The
We hope you are participating C ouncilforArtEducation,asponsorofYouth
ⁱⁿ ^one ^of ^the ^most ^rewarding Art Month, adopted the theme, “Start With Art,
activities for art educators—
_YAM! _During _the _month _of _{Mar ch,} L earn for Life.” Art education develops self-esteem,
you can hold observances of man y kinds, a ppreciation of the work of others, self-expres-
in schools, libraries, stores and other
sion, cooperation with others, and critical
places. Your celebration can include exhib-
thinking skills. All of these skills are vital to

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its of children’s artwork, promotional tools such as buttons, posters, and bumper stickers, the success of our future leaders— a proclamation from your mayor and local offi-

our children.

cials, a collection of quotes in support of art and art education from leading citizens and from young students on what art means to them, artwork in symphony programs, on billboards, restaurant placemats, in utilty customer flyers, and on supermarket bags. Whatever you do, be sure to submit photos and articles about all your events, newspaper, radio and television features, interviews, and other coverage of your observance to your state YAM chairperson. This information should be submitted by the close of the school year to your state chairperson, who will document all these state observances to

CFAE by mid-July. CFAE reviews these state observances and gives awards to the states submitting a record of their observances.

Support YAM

Thanks to generous contributions from donors, CFAE will raise awareness through national YAM observances, including the display of the YAM Flags at the 23rd Annual National Flag Event and distribution of YAM information and display of the YAM state flags at several national conferences. These activities show federal and state legislators, education officials, businesses, com-

munity leaders, teachers and parents the importance of keeping visual art education funded and in the schools. In addition, contributions may be made separately to the 2009 “Sponsor a Flag Designer” fund to send student flag designers from all over the U. S. to New York City for the Flag Event to receive recognition for their unique, artistic YAM flags. Please consider sponsoring a Flag Designer, so that they may be able to attend this very special event. You can also donate to the general fund, or provide an in-kind donation (art materials, services, etc.) to help make YAM a success. Your help makes a huge difference. For more information on making a donation, participating in a state observance, or to find out the name of your state chairperson, please contact: The Council for Art Education, Inc., P. O. Box 479, Hanson, MA 02341 or (781) 293- 4100 or debbief@acminet.org.